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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the field of medical devices. More particularly, the present invention is directed to devices for collecting and transmitting of data corresponding to a patient""s bodily functioning.
2. Background of the Invention
The use of electro-cardiogram transmitters is well known in the art. Presently, a number of monitoring procedures use a variety of transmitters to remotely monitor a patient""s bodily functioning without the patient being physically connected to an electro-cardiogram machine. These wireless, battery powered transmitters are typically used by hospital patients who need to be monitored by hospital caregivers during post surgery or post procedure. These transmitters are tethered around the patient""s neck or shoulder, or secured to an item of clothing worn by the patient generally by a fastening mechanism such as a carry-on belt.
Currently, these transmitters have a number of electrocardiogram electrode nodes that are attached at one end to the patient""s body, typically by a biologically compatible adhesive, and connected at their opposite end into a connection port on the transmitter unit. The nodes constantly collect data from the human body in the form of small voltage changes at the attachment points, convert the data into electrical signals and forward them to the transmitter unit for transmission to an electrocardiogram machine for analysis.
Though widely used in the art, these transmitters are not without shortcomings. Currently, all known commercially available transmitters are of the reusable type, utilizing replaceable batteries and replaceable electrodes. The transmitter device is continuously on the patient, typically for three to five days at a time during all wakeful and sleeping hours. One shortcoming of such device is the size, as currently even in its smallest configuration the transmitter unit is about the size of a cigarette box, with most being considerably larger and heavier, thus reducing the level of patient""s mobility, and comfort, particularly during sleep. Second, after each use the device can be soiled, sometimes severely and requires careful cleaning prior to reuse. This may considerably increase the chance of the transmission of disease from one patient to another when the device is reused for a different patient. Third, it is not readily apparent from these transmitters as to which part of the body is each electrode node to be connected or to which connection port on the transmitter does each node connect, thus constant supervision by a professional is required in both the initial proper placement of the electrode node on the patient""s body and the connection to the correct connection port on the transmitter, and subsequent reconnections should one node become detached. Fourth, because the transmitter system requires the use of costly electrocardiogram machines and reusable transmitters, manufacturers have attempted to use pay-per-use systems to minimize the user""s capital budget expenses. These systems have not been adopted by the user market and are largely unsuccessful.
What is needed is a disposable device that is made to be small, lightweight, thin, waterproof and comfortable to wear even during sleep and which would readily guide the user as to proper placement of its electrode nodes on the human body. The disposable device does not require capital expenditures by the user.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a disposable electro-cardiogram transmitter device that does not require the connection of electrode nodes to the transmitter by a user nor the installation of batteries. Non-replaceable, integral batteries give the device a predetermined period of use prior to disposal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and associated method for facilitating proper placement of at least one electro-cardiogram electrode node on a human body.
These and other objects are achieved by the various apparatus and associated method of the present invention.
In a broad aspect, the present invention provides a disposable electro-cardiogram transmitter device. The device includes a substrate with integral electronics and batteries and at least one data relay conduit integrally disposed on the substrate and capable of operative contact with a human body.
In another aspect, the present invention is a method for facilitating proper placement of at least one electro-cardiogram electrode node on a human body. The method includes fastening to the human body a human-shaped or other anatomically shaped substrate having at least one node integrally disposed on the human-shaped substrate at an anatomical location and capable of operative contact with the human body at one end, and positioning the end of the node at a predetermined location on the human body wherein the predetermined location substantially corresponds to the anatomical location on the substrate.
In yet another aspect, the present invention provides an electro-cardiogram transmitter device to facilitate proper placement of at least one electro-cardiogram electrode node on a human body. The device includes a human-shaped or other anatomically shaped substrate and at least one data relay conduit integrally disposed on the human-shaped or other anatomically shaped substrate and capable of operative contact with said human body.
The aforementioned summary descriptions were intended to only provide an overview of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. A more detailed understanding of these features, and of additional features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will be provided to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following Detailed Description of the Invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings, which will now first be described briefly.